As you walk the cobblestone paths past cottages with thatched roofs that are surrounded by cypress trees, it’s easy to mistake Carmel-by-the-Sea for a page out of a storybook. That charm did not happen by accident. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, artists and writers fled the wreckage and found cheap lots and open skies…
The water at Crystal Cove stops you mid-step. Here, the Pacific is an impossible shade of turquoise, more Hawaiian than Southern Californian. It is the kind of color that makes you reach for your camera before your brain has caught up. This stretch of Orange County coast has been drawing people since the early 1920s,…
The air in La Jolla is just different. Yes, the sea lion scent can be overpowering at first, but soon it fades, replaced by the layered blues of the Pacific stretching endlessly in every direction. Once an artists’ haven in the early 1900s, its Spanish name—“The Jewel”—couldn’t be more fitting. Sea lions lounge lazily on…
Stretching nearly four miles along the coast, Oceanside has it all—foamy waves for surfers, a bustling pier for people-watching, and wide-open sands perfect for drifting into daydreams. With fall officially here, here’s to that endless summer vibe at Oceanside. Tips
A trip to San Francisco would not be complete without paying homage to the Golden Gate Bridge, undoubtedly one of the most enduring symbols of the city. Great vista points abound, yet one that always wins my vote is Battery Spencer, an abandoned military point just north of the bridge. The view here is one…
You will want to take that turn on Highway 1. At first glance, the road leads to an unassuming residential area on the San Mateo coast—at least not until you venture further into the trail, when you realize that there is an unworldly sanctuary out there. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, located about halfway between Pacifica and…
Palm-trees-lined streets under the azure sky, with wide open white sandy beaches in the backdrop—as soon as you step foot in N. Pacific St in Oceanside, you know that you have reached that quintessential beach town in Southern California. Here, you can catch waves, people-watch, or even just daydream, and there is something for everyone…
The Pacific Ocean glistens as the sun moves further towards the horizon during the golden hour, signaling the end of yet another day. The image is so poetic yet powerful—no wonder the French people call the sunset “le coucher du soleil”, literally “the sun is going to bed”. Come experience the sunset at Torrey Pines…